YF102 – Entrepreneurial Thinking

This course provides knowledge, tools, and thinking structure to help learners undertake entrepreneurial and organizational activities. They will also learn how to use the Entrepreneurial Decision-Making Cycle to align personal and entrepreneurial visions and to follow the subsequent steps of:

• internal and external analysis.
• appropriate strategic formulation.
• planning and preparation.
• entrepreneurial action.

This course lays the foundation for entrepreneurial activities both inside and outside existing organizations.

Prerequisites

Students enrolled in this course are expected to have completed Entrepreneurial Vision, but may be enrolled without completing the first course in the series at the discretion of the instructor. In such case, some background reading and research will be required to bring them to a level of understanding and competency required to participate in team events.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this course you will be able to do the following:

• Describe the Entrepreneurial Decision-Making Cycle and explain how to use it
• Conduct internal and external analysis for a potential new venture
• Identify an array of strategic options available to would-be entrepreneurs
• Identify the steps for adequate planning and preparation for a new venture

Course Outline

This course focuses on building a business plan to become an entrepreneur/owner of a business. During the first three weeks of the course, readings, group discussions, and assignments will provide the background information and preparation for the activities that follow.

The learners will then work in small groups to define a major team project. The team project will be based on an entrepreneurial vision shared by the team and defined using the concepts introduced in the Entrepreneurial Vision course. Participants will be expected to submit a final assignment within four weeks following the acceptance of their entrepreneurial vision statement. Each student is expected to contribute equally to their team’s workload and to class discussions. It is compulsory that students be available to their team and be present for all team activities.